Workshop Activities - Week 11

Surface Anatomy of Anterior Body Cavities

Locating thoracic organs using surface landmarks

1. The bifurcation of the trachea at the manubriosternal joint. Note: the bifurcation is not
fixed and moves downward considerably (e.g., 3 cm) in the erect posture. Suggest why
this might occur.

2. The apex of each lung rises above the clavicle. Examine this on an image of a skeleton.
Why could a penetrating injury to the neck above the clavicle (e.g., stab wound) give rise
to problems with breathing?

Locating abdminopelvic organs using surface landmarks

Transumbilical Plane – colour this line in green
Median Plane – colour this line in red

1. Kidneys
The kidneys
are not symmetrically oriented in the abdominal cavity. The left kidney is approximately 2
cm higher than the right kidney. Can you suggest a reason why this is so?
Hint: Think of the organs that you find in the abdominal cavity and their locations.